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THE ANATOMY OF THE EYE
AN OVERVIEW: ANATOMY OF THE EYE
THE ANTERIOR SECTION OF
THE EYE

THE CORNEA
The Cornea
• Composition:
o 78% water
• A 5-layered structure
o 15% collagen
o 5% other parts
o 1% GAG’s

o Epithelium makes up 10% of the

cornea’s wet weight
The cornea
DESCRIPTION IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS
OF A NORMAL CORNEA

• Elliptically Shaped • Regular shape

• HVID (Horizontal Visible • Transparency
Iris Diameter) • Lustre
• VVID • Absence of blood vessels
• Thickness ~ 540nm • Bright corneal reflex
Cornea: Innervation
• One of the richest sensory nerve supplies – one of the
most sensitive tissues in the body
• Sensitive to temperature, touch and chemicals
• Sensory nerve fibres via the ophthalmic division of the
trigeminal nerve (long ciliary nerves and short ciliary
nerves)
• Most prominent when the cornea
is oedematous
Abnormalities of the cornea
• Folds
• Striae
• Staining
• Thinning
• Polymegathism
• Blebs/Guttata
• Keratoconus
• Keratitis
 The Limbus

- A transition zone, approx. 1mm wide between the cornea and the sclera (including conjunctiva)
- Serves as an anatomical reference point
- There should be no blood vessels crossing over the limbus into the cornea
THE CONJUNCTIVA
The conjunctiva
• Mucous membrane, lines the eyelids and covers
the sclera
• Non-keratinized stratified columnar epithelium
• Helps to lubricate the eye
• Transparent
• Forms a protective barrier, preventing entry of
microbes
• Divided into 3 separate sections
Puncta
PINGUECULA
Lid Evertion
REDNESS
THE SCLERA
 The Sclera
• The “white” of the eye
• Opaque, fibrous, protective outer layer
• Collagen and elastic fibres
• Functions:
• - tough, fibrous structure provides
protection
• - preserves the shape of the eye
• - point of insertion for the EOM’s
THE EYELIDS
The eyelids
• A thin fold of skin covering the eye
• Serves as a protection mechanism
• Regulates the amount of light reaching the eye
• Important for maintenance of the tear film
• Protecting the cornea during blinking
• Aid in tear flow due to the pumping action
LID TENSION
Lid positions
PTOSIS
• Upper eyelid appears to
droop
• It may be thickened or
‘puffier’ and often has a
red appearance
• Some causes for ptosis
include:
o Third nerve palsy
o Horner’s syndrome
o Myasthenia Gravis
BLEPHARITIS
• Characterized by chronic
inflammation of the eyelid
o 2 types:
o Anterior
o Posterior
• Symptoms include:
o Burning
o Excessive tearing
o Itching
o Redness
o Swelling
MEIBOMITIS
• A form of blepharitis
• Chronic inflammation of the
meibomian glands
• Symptoms include:
o Redness
o Swelling
o Dry eye
o Blurred vision
 THE LACRIMAL SYSTEM
LPS (ts.)
Aponeurosis of LPS Superior (orbital)
portion
Superior canaliculus

Common canaliculus

. Inferior (palpebral)
portion
Puncta
Lacrimal sac .

Preseptal muscle
(deeper part)
(sectioned) Inferior canaliculus

Naso-lacrimal duct

A so-called valve
(non-functional) Main lid actions

Tear fluid
exits to nose 97400-155S.PPT
THE TEAR FILM
Tear Distribution
• Tears are distributed across the ocular surface via 3
mechanisms:
o By eyelid action
o Movement of the globe
o Help from the lacrimal lake
o Each blink ‘resurfaces’ the tear film
Composition of the tear film
• The tear film is composed of 3 important layers:
o The lipid layer
o The aqueous layer
o The mucin layer

• Functions of the tear film:

o Creates a hydrophobic barrier –
preventing excessive evaporation of tears
o Creates a smooth optical surface
o Provides lubrication
o A source of nutrients
o Removal of waste products
Secretion of tears
• The lacrimal glands are responsible for secreting the
aqueous layer of the tears
• These glands are located behind the outer part of each
upper lid
Puncta
Normal tear meniscus/ prism height
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Invasive techniques
THE EXTRAOCULAR MUSCLES
 ANATOMY OF EOM
• There are 6 extraocular muscles
 The superior rectus
 The inferior rectus
 The medial rectus
 The lateral rectus
 The superior oblique
 The inferior oblique
Innervation of the EOM’s
Extraocular muscle Innervating cranial nerve
Lateral rectus 6th cranial nerve - Abducens
Superior oblique 4th cranial nerve - Trochlear
Superior rectus 3rd cranial nerve - Oculomotor
Inferior rectus 3rd cranial nerve - Oculomotor
Medial rectus 3rd cranial nerve - Oculomotor
Inferior oblique 3rd cranial nerve - Oculomotor
Oculomotor nerve (CN 3)
Signs of 3rd nerve palsy
Trochelar nerve (CN 4)
Abducens nerve (CN 6)
THE POSTERIOR SECTION OF
THE EYE
 THE UVEA
• Middle layer of the eye – behind the sclera
• Consists of 3 sections:
o The iris
o The ciliary body
o The choroid
oInflammation of the uvea - Uveitis
The iris
• The circular coloured region of the eye, responsible for
regulating the diameter of the pupils and therefore, the
amount of light reaching the retina
• Muscles attached to the border of the iris expand and
contract the opening at the centre of the iris known as the
pupil.
• Large pupil – dilated
• Small pupil – constricted
Iris continued

• The iris consists of two layers:

• The pigmented fibrovascular tissue in the front
• The pigmented epithelial cells known as the stroma.

• Contains melanin – responsible for eye colour

• The iris separates the anterior and the posterior
chambers of the eye
Abnormalities of the iris
• Iritis – Inflammation of
the iris
• Iris coloboma
The ciliary body
• The ciliary body is composed of:
o The ciliary smooth muscle
o The ciliary processes
• The ciliary body is covered by ciliary epithelium, this
epithelium is responsible for producing the aqueous
humor.
• The ciliary body has 3 functions:
o Process of accommodation
o Aqueous humor production
o Production and maintenance of lens zonules
Cillary body and lens zonules
The choroid
• The vascular layer of the eye
• Contains connective tissue and is found between the
sclera and the retina
• Provides oxygen and nourishment to the outer layers of
the retina
• The choroid is composed of 4 layers:

o Haller’s layer – outermost layer of the choroid (large diameter blood vessels)
o Sattler’s layer – (medium diameter blood vessels)
o Choriocapillaris – a layer of capillaries
o Bruch’s membrane – innermost layer of the choroid
Gonioscopy
• Iris Process

• Cillary body band

• Scleral spur

• Trabeculum meshwork

• Schwalbe’s line
Abnormalities of the choroid
• Choroiditis – Inflammation of
the choroid
The retina
• A light-sensitive layer lining the inner surface of the eye
• Light entering the eye, reaches the retina and triggers a
chemical and electrical signal which is sent to the brain
via the optic nerve
• Via the optic nerve, these nerve impulses reach the brain
where an image is created
• The retina is made up of photoreceptors, there are two
types of photoreceptors:
• Rods – Primarily involved in night vision (black and white)
• Cones – Primarily involved in day vision as well as seeing detail (colour)
Layers of the retina
The lens
• The crystalline lens is located behind the iris within the
eye
• It is transparent
• The lens is encased in a capsular-like bag and is
suspended inside the eye by lens zonules
• The central region of the lens is known as the nucleus, the
nucleus is surrounded by a region known as the cortex
The lens
• Functions of the lens:
o The purpose of the lens is to focus light onto the retina
o The lens is also the primary anatomical structure involved in the
process of accommodation in which the shape of the lens is altered
depending on whether the patient is viewing target at distance or at
near.
o When viewing at distance – The lens is flattened
o When viewing at near – The lens is thickened
o With increasing age, the lens loses its ability to accommodate
The optic nerve
Angle closure
The vitreous humor
• A transparent gel located in the space between the lens
and the retina
• Features:
• Stagnant
o Transparent
o Gelatinous mass, produced by cells from the non-
pigmented portion of the ciliary body
• The vitreous is in constant contact with the retina, it helps
to hold the retina in place
• Abnormalities include floaters as well as a posterior
vitreous detachment
Vitreous Humor
• 4ml of transparent gel
• Composed mainly of
water
Hyloid canal
Vitreous Detachment
THE RETINA
Optic nerve